Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls

I don't have many good or 'precious' memories as a child, but one of the ones I do have has stayed with me every year Halloween comes around. My parents had divorced when I was around 3 and my dad got me every other weekend. At that time, we stayed with my grandparents and they pretty much raised me more than anyone else. My grandmother and great-grand mother were great cooks and my grandmother was always telling me I needed to come in the kitchen and learn how to cook, because one day, I would be cooking for my family. Of course, I ignored her and I guess thought she would always be there and cook for me. Oh, how children think!
My grandparents thought Halloween was 'of the devil' and trick-or-treating was not allowed. There could have been pins in my candy! Oh Lordy, the horrors!
But, that was really ok, because once a year at Halloween my grandmother would make her popcorn balls. Just. For. Me! Oh, the taste and the smell. It was heaven to me!!
Eventually, her arthritis (she called it Arthur) kept her from doing cooking like that. And, I grew up into that early adulthood of stupid, as I call it. But, every year at Halloween, I remember. And it's a Precious Memory. I now do this tradition with my littles and they love it too. I pray their memory of it will be just as precious.
I would like to share it with you, too!

Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls

Ingredients

1/2 C Sugar
1/4 C Butter
1/2 C Light Karo Syrup (corn syrup)
8 C Popped Popcorn

 

Directions

• Melt the butter in the pan. Add the sugar and corn syrup and stir constantly. Bring to a boil and set your timer for 2 minutes (stirring constantly!! ha) .

• Remove from heat. Right now you could add food coloring if you wanted.
• Immediately pour over the popcorn (I used 1 bag) and stir well until completely covered.
• Spray your hands with Pam and form into balls and put on wax paper.

After they set, I wrap each one in plastic wrap.

 

Another Get In My Belly and Precious Memories!

Homemade Caramel

As I was giving myself my daily dose of Pinterest, I came across this easy and delicious homemade caramel recipe from Pretty Providence. I just tried it tonight with the kids and poured it over some popped popcorn and it's heaven! This is so easy, I no longer have an excuse to buy the store version!

Homemade Caramel

Ingredients:
1 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Butter (1 stick)
1 C Light corn syrup (or as I call it Karo)
1 Can Sweentened Condensed Milk

Directions

• Melt the butter in a medium-low heat and add all the other ingredients in one at a time, constantly stirring. (The constant stirring will be constant throughout the entire process! ha)

 

• Once the caramel comes to a boil..and you're still stirring!...set your timer and cook for 2 minutes. Yes, still stir!

I first poured the caramel into my Ball jar (about a cup) and then poured the rest over 2 packages of popcorn. So, it makes quite a bit!